Following a recent visit to Zambia, Friend of EduSport are delighted to report on the progress made by Chawama Sport and Educational Empowerment School (CSEE) in their first year being operational. 

The school’s head teacher Jack Malambo has done a terrific job at organising the staff structure and ensuring a fully functional system given the limited space available.  The school has been established in a rented warehouse, one of the first jobs was to create two classrooms and an office from the open plan space. 

The exterior has been painted  and the desks have been built by staff, students and parents. The school operates with 2 intakes, with 2 classes having morning sessions and a further 2 have afternoon classes.  This is a common set up in Zambia within community based schools, allowing for young people to fulfil their family duties of caring for siblings, household chores or assisting with income generation through managing small stalls.   Chawama SEE now has 160 pupils attending class regularly with grade 1 and 5 in the morning and grades 8 and 9 in the afternoon. The school has already achieved one of its stated objectives by allowing scholarships to 5 pupils who are unable to pay school fees – this is one aspect that Friend of EduSport is exceedingly proud of.  Chawama SEE has 4 paid staff who have shown real commitment over the past 12 months and continue to impress with their ability and determination to assist with young people’s education.

Another considerable outcome to the establishment of CSEE has been that Friend of EduSport supported peer leaders in Chawama have started to attend classes at the school as they identify and feel valued by the teachers.  On our visit we met Alice (sponsored peer leader by the Farrow family) who had organised a chimbobwa tournament for local under 12’s, Alice recently moved from Cobet Community School to CSEE. 

Friend of EduSport are continuing to support Chawama SEE through our sponsorship programme, currently Jack Malambo and Justin Lungu are supported by Elizabeth and Robert Spanswick and Sharon Museke is also sponsored by Joyce Campbell.  This ongoing support allows the school to use the income from school fees for rent, electricity and school materials.  Friend of EduSport’s CSEE coordinator Rona McIntosh has done a tremendous job over the past year finding support for the school and working trirelessly to assist CSEE in getting to where we are now, we all very proud of what Chawama SEE has accomplished and we think it is a reflection of the quality of people involved in the school that it has become self sustainable in one year.

A huge congratulations to everyone involved!!!